UK Citizen...hard to get tourist visa?

[HuffyTheSlayer 22]

Noah, mate. I know you are naturally suspicious of intent, and I do understand where you are coming from - but we have explained to you before, that unpaid career breaks are quite easy to obtain for many, many UK workers - especially those in the financial and government sectors. Many companies actively encourage them. Please try and remember that in the future.

Union Jack = being away from work for months on end isn't necessarily suspicious.

I think it's hard for many people in the US to understand the vacation allowances of other countries as it's often so small over here.

At my old job in the UK we had 7 weeks paid vacation every year and you were allowed to carry 2 weeks over to the next year if you hadn't used it. Plus after ten years you got an extra week of vacation as a reward for long service.

So it was quite easy to have really long holidays of a month or more off work at a time.

I was horrified when I first had to deal with the American vacation allowances.

Lynne, so was I. *sigh* I still miss being able to have relaxed vacations, rather than running around like headless-chickens to get what we need/want to do done during vacations here.

I'd also like to mention that back in the UK at my job in Foreign Exchange we had a lot of people from different countries working for us (great to have multiple language skills when trying to sell currency) and there were at least 2 people who took extended leaves of absence. One of the women I worked with took a "gap" year to go backpacking and came back and worked the same position she'd had before. So it's not anywhere near as difficult to get extended UNPAID (usually) leave over in the UK than you would think it was.

OP, I think your decision to stick with using the VWP is a good one. Why risk getting a denial for the tourist visa and possibly not even being able to use VWP and ESTA? Know what I mean?

[Noah Lot 391]

Noah, mate. I know you are naturally suspicious of intent, and I do understand where you are coming from - but we have explained to you before, that unpaid career breaks are quite easy to obtain for many, many UK workers - especially those in the financial and government sectors. Many companies actively encourage them. Please try and remember that in the future.

Union Jack = being away from work for months on end isn't necessarily suspicious.

However, you are proposing (or someone from the UK is proposing) to abandon their job for several months..which, in this economy, does not seem wise....and since that same individual is coming to the US, where in our culture extended vacations are rare (except for our congress!!), well, our CBP folks have the final say...

[N M 96]

However, you are proposing (or someone from the UK is proposing) to abandon their job for several months..which, in this economy, does not seem wise....and since that same individual is coming to the US, where in our culture extended vacations are rare (except for our congress!!), well, our CBP folks have the final say...

Why is it not wise? You don't just have an informal chat with your boss, pick up your passport and head to Heathrow. Everything is formalized in writing, you are guaranteed your job back when you return.

Employers win as it's basically an extended furlough. And they can count on retaining the employee's experience and knowledge when the employee returns. The UK isn't the US. British employees don't chop and change jobs so much, so UK employers are more willing to spend a LOT of time and money training their staff. Why waste that if they don't have to?

The employee wins as they get to stay away from work for a while and have a life experience - that could be going to university, volunteering for a third world charity, spending a few months in the US (as this thread is about) - or backpacking round the world - which many of my former colleagues at HMRC have done in the last couple of years.

Would it surprise you to learn that government departments give career breaks for up to three years? That's what I'm STILL on. If I decide by July 4 this year that I want to move back to London, my job is still there. Still open. I'm currently at my desk in Denver. But I could be back at my old desk in London in 48 hours.

Given how common career breaks are in the UK, I'd be amazed if US officials were so oblivious when considering granting visas for UK citizens. And even if they are, if you bring the paperwork showing that you have a job to return to, what could be the problem?

[Boiler 46,004]

Why is it not wise? You don't just have an informal chat with your boss, pick up your passport and head to Heathrow. Everything is formalized in writing, you are guaranteed your job back when you return.

Employers win as it's basically an extended furlough. And they can count on retaining the employee's experience and knowledge when the employee returns. The UK isn't the US. British employees don't chop and change jobs so much, so UK employers are more willing to spend a LOT of time and money training their staff. Why waste that if they don't have to?

The employee wins as they get to stay away from work for a while and have a life experience - that could be going to university, volunteering for a third world charity, spending a few months in the US (as this thread is about) - or backpacking round the world - which many of my former colleagues at HMRC have done in the last couple of years.

Would it surprise you to learn that government departments give career breaks for up to three years? That's what I'm STILL on. If I decide by July 4 this year that I want to move back to London, my job is still there. Still open. I'm currently at my desk in Denver. But I could be back at my old desk in London in 48 hours.

Given how common career breaks are in the UK, I'd be amazed if US officials were so oblivious when considering granting visas for UK citizens. And even if they are, if you bring the paperwork showing that you have a job to return to, what could be the problem?

Outside of Central Government the situation you describe is rare.

[N M 96]

Outside of Central Government the situation you describe is rare.

I appreciate that career breaks are very rare with certain sectors, and even when they are available most people won't be able to afford to take one.

But there are still more people taking them than you may think. Don't forget, 20% of the UK workforce are public servants.

And given the thread topic, and other posters' comments (which match experiences of my family and friends), the opportunity to take career breaks certainly isn't rare in the financial sector - another huge part of the UK economy.

[Harsh_77 718]

NM – Even what you say is correct you have long vacation breaks in UK does not help your situation.

At point when one is applying for Visa, from CO’s perspective what are the incentive that this person would return back home within the 6 months time and not stay in US for all 3 year that he can stay off oh his / her job.

With given economy when employer has more applicants for a job posting why would employer hold onto one’s position hoping they would return back after 3 years.

Whatever work this person was doing – would that be put on hold for 3 years, won’t employer hire someone in his / her place to work for the gap?

From CO’s perspective having such a long vacation is same as someone not employed at the moment, which means there is no reason for this person to return back to the home country.

I would have to agree with Noah, they way original post was posted it did sound as your friend was going to quit the job and looking to come to US and stay here for longer that VWP – which does sound as your friend was going to look for job while she was here in

[jaycali 415]

NM – Even what you say is correct you have long vacation breaks in UK does not help your situation. At point when one is applying for Visa, from CO’s perspective what are the incentive that this person would return back home within the 6 months time and not stay in US for all 3 year that he can stay off oh his / her job. With given economy when employer has more applicants for a job posting why would employer hold onto one’s position hoping they would return back after 3 years. Whatever work this person was doing – would that be put on hold for 3 years, won’t employer hire someone in his / her place to work for the gap? From CO’s perspective having such a long vacation is same as someone not employed at the moment, which means there is no reason for this person to return back to the home country. I would have to agree with Noah, they way original post was posted it did sound as your friend was going to quit the job and looking to come to US and stay here for longer that VWP – which does sound as your friend was going to look for job while she was here in

True, but you don't speak with any COs when travelling on the VWP. You only speak to COs when applying for a visa, but the VWP is travel without a visa. You show up at the airport, and the CBP officer makes a quick judgement then and there. It's rare for VWP travelers to be asked by CBP to provide evidence of ties, but it does happen from time to time, especially if they have unusual travel movements and/or plan to stay for a full 3 months.

Edited April 25, 2012 by jaejayC

[Boiler 46,004]

I appreciate that career breaks are very rare with certain sectors, and even when they are available most people won't be able to afford to take one.

But there are still more people taking them than you may think. Don't forget, 20% of the UK workforce are public servants.

And given the thread topic, and other posters' comments (which match experiences of my family and friends), the opportunity to take career breaks certainly isn't rare in the financial sector - another huge part of the UK economy.

Really, I must have been sleeping for 30 years.